The man tipped to become the Department of Trade and Industry’s next director general, Bahle Sibisi, has resigned from the department amid ongoing rumblings about its three-year restructuring.
Sibisi, Deputy Director General for enterprise and industry development, was central to negotiations that led to South Africa’s free trade agreement with the European Union. He is highly regarded in civil service circles and his departure is widely seen as a major blow to the department.
Sibisi cited personal reasons for resigning. However, departmental sources said he was ”frustrated” by aspects of the restructuring and fractious relations with the current Director General, Alistair Ruiters, and Wendy Dobson, chief director for external relations and policy coordination.
In February the Mail & Guardian reported on ructions at the department, caused by what sources described as Ruiters’s ”centralisation of power”.
This week an anonymous document was forwarded to the M&G, Business Day and Financial Mail containing allegations against Ruiters and Dobson. Sibisi said his resignation had nothing to do with the document.
Panna Kassan, trade and industry media manager, said the department was aware of the document ”and views in serious light the cowardly acts of its compilers and distributors” whose motive was to damage the integrity of the department and the government.
Chief among the allegations is that the department is engaged in restructuring that merely creates institutions and does not deliver tangible benefits.
The department dismissed the charges, citing among its achievements the establishment of a call centre for product information. Responding to questions this week, it said the restructuring was complete, with the only outstanding task the establishment of a commission for international trade and administration and a Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office.
Restructuring started in 1999 with the formation of six divisions, each to be headed by a deputy director general. Kassan described their roles as being CEOs responsible for management, financial accounting and administration of the divisions.
In the latest document Dobson is accused of blocking access to Ruiters and sidelining or frustrating anyone who disagreed with him.
Dobson’s formal rank is lower than that of deputy director general, but she is said to boast frequently of her ability to override deputy directors general on policy matters.
Kassan said Dobson’s status was equivalent ”to that of any of the department’s chief directors. She has the responsibility to provide policy support to the department.”
Kassan said Sibisi had not given any reason for resigning. An exit interview had not yet taken place, as he was due to leave at the end of the month.
Department sources cited as a factor that drove Sibisi to step down a senior management meeting in February, where deputy directors general were given what amounted to an instruction to start reporting to Dobson. Sibisi is said to have sat in stunned silence.
A further contentious feature of the restructuring is said to be a plan to disband the office of Dave Kaplan, the department’s chief economist.
Kassan said Kaplan remained chief economist in the department.
Asked if Kaplan’s office had been budgeted for in the current and subsequent financial years, she said this had been done. However, she gave no budget breakdown.
Kaplan was unavailable for comment.